Exotic

Caring for a rabbit is a lot different from traditional pets because they have a lot of special needs and requirements that other pets don’t have. So if you are considering going down to your pet store and getting a rabbit for a pet, you need to learn about how to take care of a rabbit first. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Rabbit Cage

As a rule of from, you need to make sure that the cage for your rabbit is a minimum of four times bigger than your rabbit. If you can make it bigger than do so, as bigger is always better especially if your rabbit is going to be spending a lot of time in the cage. The cage’s floor should be solid. Many people are still apt to use a rabbit cages that have wire floors in them as they are much easier to keep clean than solid floor type cages, but this can often lead to problems in sores on your rabbits feet.If you are using a cage that has a wire floor, then you need to cover it with a sisal mat or grass, or even a piece of wood.

Your Rabbits Diet

You need to make sure that you have a pretty much unlimited supply of grass hay for feed such as brome or timothy. As a primary component of a rabbit’s diet, grass hay ensures that the rabbit’s intestinal tract is kept clean. You will also need to keep a supply of quality rabbit pellets on hand. Younger rabbits (under 6 months old) should eat pellets that contain at least 18% fiber and 15% to 19% protein. You are also going to need to feed your rabbit things such as collard greens, carrots tops, different types of lettuce, turnip greens, and any other type of dark leafy green vegetable that might come to mind. At least 2 cups of leaves should be given for 6 pounds of rabbit. Fresh, clean water should be available at all times.

Litter Training

Rabbits have a tendency to use a single part of its cage for littering. In your pet has decided on what part of its cage it’s going to use, you need to fill that area with timothy hay or pelleted newspaper litter. The box should be kept clean and changed daily so that the odors can be kept to a minimum.

Keeping the Cage Cleaned

Make sure that you clean your rabbits cage once a week. Place your pet inside an alternate cage or somewhere safe around your house. Sweep the floor to remove any solid debris. Whenever you clean and scrub the cage floor, make sure that you use soap and warm water.

Handling Your Rabbit

Many rabbits are injured because they are not handled properly. Never pick up a rabbit by its ears. When you pick up a rabbit, make sure that you use one hand to support its front legs and the other its back legs.

Supplies for Your Rabbit

The following items are a requirement if you want to own a rabbit: A hutch or cage, a litter box with litter, a pet carrier, hay for feed, a pet grooming brush, quality rabbit pellet food, some safe chew toys, a digging box, and a food and water dish that is preferably made out of ceramic material.

This If you need to find a good place to buy these items, you can find them all at rabbit cages for sale.

Each year literally hundreds of millions exotic animals are imported into the USA and Europe. A future exotic pet may be running around in an African desert one day and find itself transported across the world to some family’s living room in say, Denver, within a week. The main problem is that many of these animals are not subject to any form of quarantine or only minimal health screening before they are allowed into the country and then into our homes. These new owners are ignorant of the fact that their pets could damage the health of themselves and their families.

Zoonotic Diseases

Zoonotic diseases are those that can jump from animals to humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA says that zoonotic diseases account for around three-quarters of all emerging infectious diseases today.

This article is about some of the diseases your pet hedgehog may be carrying.

In 2005 a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research study provided a list of zoonotic diseases that it had confirmed hedgehogs could carry, along with several potential infectious diseases. The confirmed diseases include Salmonella, Yersina, pseudotubercolosis, Mycobacterium marinum, Herpesvirus including human herpes simplex and Rabies. The potential diseases they can carry include Yersina pestis (also responsible for Bubonic plague) and hemorrhagic fever.

Salmonella

Salmonella is normally contracted from contaminated food. The CDC states that 20 in 100 cases of infection are due to contact with exotic pets. For example they estimate that nearly eighty thousand Americans contract Salmonella from their pet reptiles every year.

In 1994 African Pygmy Hedgehogs were responsible for passing on a rare form of Salmonella (S. tilene), to a 10 month old girl who became the first ever confirmed case of this serotype in a human in the USA. The girl’s family were hedgehog breeders who kept a herd of about 80 hedgehogs. It is significant that the girl did not have any physical contact with the hedgehogs. The girl was infected by a family member. The same type of Salmonella has since been confirmed in many other cases.

Ringworm

Despite its name ringworm or Tinea is not a worm but is actually a fungal skin infection. One source of ringworm is known to be pet and wild hedgehogs. Over the past few months HedgehogsAsPets.com has been covering a story where three people were infected with ringworm by two hoglets bought from the same breeder.

This story even more frightening because the woman concerned somehow managed to get around the UK’s strict quarantine laws and import several African Pygmy Hedgehogs directly into the country from Germany. Normally, in the UK, imported hedgehogs would be subject to six months quarantine in a government recognised establishment.

In this case the woman claims that the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) allowed her to quarantine the hedgehogs at home although Defra has categorically denied that this would ever be allowed. Subsequently before it was learned that the German breeder’s herd was infected with ringworm, she had managed to spread the disease to the parents of the two hoglets that she later sold and infected three other people.

This tale is also an example of what can happen when you purchase your pet from less than reputable breeders. Over the past six months the breeder in question has promised to pay part of the new owners’ vet’s fees but they have yet to see a penny-.

Reducing the risk of infection

To reduce the risk of infection simply go to this site and follow the advice they give there: http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/browse_by_animal.htm.

Purchasing your pet from a reputable breeder instead of a pet store, should provide you with more guarantees about the origins of the animal.

Although the chances of catching an exotic disease from your pet are not very big, you must take into consideration that the risk does exist and take steps to minimise it. Follwing the advice on the CDC site will help you to reduce the risk of infection to a minimum.

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So you have a newcomer to the family, a cute little hamster. Like all pets, we want to make our little friend happy. Mental stimulation is very important to your hamster’s health. And they love to play. It is important to provide them with happy homes (hamster cages).

Always remember that these little guys are extremely sensitive and prone to stress. But they are not complicated animals; they have simple tastes and needs that can easily be met, if you know what you are doing.

You will guarantee your hamster’s happiness simply by providing some toys – a wheel being the first and best choice – and good bedding and nesting material.

Bedding material is needed for practical purposes too. It soaks up the urine making it easier for you to clean up and also keeps yucky smells at bay (well, mostly anyway). The best bedding is made of wood shavings. Warning: hamsters are particularly allergic to a chemical which is found in cedar shavings, so be sure to avoid them. Pine shavings are not a good option. Avoid scented materials. Natural wood pulp, stocked at all pet stores, is the best bedding material.

Hamsters like to sleep…a lot. Hamsters really love to sleep on shredded paper toweling.

Unfortunately it is not safe to take your hamster around the block for a walk. Wouldn’t that be fun though? Hamsters still need as much exercise as anyone else. Therefore having a wheel in their hamster cages is very important for their well being. Plus it’s fun to watch them go!

To reduce the chance of injury to your hamster chose a solid hamster wheel with entry holes, instead of a wire one which can be a trap for their little feet.

Hamsters like running around and finding their food. When feeding them try and sprinkle their food around their cage so they can find it themselves. They love the challenge and this keeps their little brains in good fit shape.

Always remeber to top up water bottles! All that foraging and wheel running can make them pretty thirsty.

So there you go. You now know how to set-up the perfect hamster cages for your hamsters. There are plenty of options for additional toys. tubes, ramps, balls, etc.

Hamsters are usually free of parasites, but occasionally they can be exposed to and become carriers of mites.  Mites are tiny, black parasites that can cause much discomfort for your pets.  They live in the hair follicles in your pet’s fur.  If left untreated, mites can spread to and infect other hamsters and can also lead to mange.(The symptoms of mange are redness, intense itching and loss of hair).

Hamsters can catch mites from a number of sources.  The most common is when they are in contact with an infested hamster.  They can also get it when bedding is used that contains mites.  Hay (which is used for food) can also be infested.Check any new bedding or food package for mites before using it.

Symptoms include scratching/itching, sore spots, loss of fur.  Mites can be nearly impossible to see, but it is sometimes helpful to check for them by using a flashlight in a darkened room.Rubbing your hamster with a white towel may also produce results.  Look for tiny black specks that move when  you disturb the fur with your finger or a paper towel.  (Fleas are another parasite that can have the same symptoms, but fleas are larger and much easier to spot than mites).If you can’t be sure, ask your vet to examine your hamster.

Treatment consists of an anti-mite spray that is designed for birds and small animals.  This is an over-the-counter compound and can be purchased at most pet stores.when you are treating the hamster with the spray make sure you cover his eyes.Another thing to do is remove the bedding from your pet’s cage and clean the cage well.Follow the directions on the packaging and spray your hamster’s cage throughly with the anti-mite spray.

As soon as you see any mites put your hamster in quarantine to stop them spreading to the others.Quarantine your hamster in a different cage and put it in a separate room.Ensure that the hamster is free of mites before you introduce him back into the general population.(if the hamster is separated from the others for a long time you will have to be careful when you reintroduce him).

It is important to find the source of the contamination.Make sure you check unused bedding for mites, if you have any doubts get rid of it and buy some new bedding.Examine the other hamsters and food.  If you have recently purchased your hamster, notify the store where you purchased him.Let the shop you bought the bedding from know if you find that it is contaminated.  This will help them control the outbreak.

Finally, do not be concerned about “catching” mites from your hamster.  Mites do not care for humans – they much prefer animals with fur – but basic precautions, such as hand washing, are always a good idea.

You can get more information and tips about looking after your pet hamster at http://www.hamstersaspets.co.uk